One Year Book of Devotions for Men Part 32

TO READ: Luke 3:1-20

The Ethics of Believing

Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to G.o.d. Donat just say, aWeare safea"weare the descendants of Abraham.a That proves nothing. G.o.d can change these stones here into children of Abraham. Even now the ax of G.o.das judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

Luke 3:8-9

A small boy was playing on the floor near the radio, which was broadcasting a religious service. As the voice of the minister intoned the words of the Apostlesa Creeda"aI believe in G.o.d . . .aa"the small boy, without looking up or even pausing in his play, added, aSo do I,a and carried ona"as if nothing had happened. Obviously familiar with the ritual and at ease with the concept of G.o.d, the boy had no difficulty stating his belief. But his statement, which was no doubt true, was strangely emptya"it was more reflexive than reflective.

Such an approach to belief in G.o.d is perfectly understandable for a small boy. But similar att.i.tudes are as troublesome as they are common in grown people. Many profess to believe in G.o.d, but some say it in such a way that it appears to have little impact on the way they live their lives. Their attention is not deviated from the their toys for a fraction of a second. Surely to believe in G.o.d should at least give cause for thought and prompt a pause for reflection.

This was one of the concerns of John the Baptist. He spoke out fiercely against the anominalisma of the religion of his day. His contemporaries not only believed in G.o.d, they believed they were G.o.das favorites. aWeare safea"weare the descendants of Abraham,a they claimed. In a sense they were right; G.o.d had made a special covenant with Abraham, and they were indeed Abrahamas descendants. But as John pointed out to them, aThat proves nothing. G.o.d can change these stones here into children of Abrahama (Luke 3:8). Merely to claim a special relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d, giving no evidence by living a life of humble submission to G.o.d and trust in him is to qualify for divine judgment. John warned them ominously, aEvery tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the firea (3:9).

This got the attention of Johnas hearers! When they asked what they should do (3:10), John explained that they should demonstrate that they had aturned from their sins and turned to G.o.d to be forgivena (3:3). They would demonstrate that they were changed by changing the way they treated other people (3:11-14).

Truly forgiven sinners are thoroughly repentant and deeply changed people. They do not continue callously in their sin, nor do they embrace carelessly their forgiveness. Instead, they learn to hate the sin they loved, and they start to love the people they despised. The wealthy become generous, the corrupt become honest, the powerful become gentle, the discontented become satisfied, and the merciless become merciful. All this because they truly believe. To paraphrase John, aLet those whose belief does not behave beware!a

August 3

TO READ: Luke 4:1-13

Resisting Temptation

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry.

Luke 4:1-2

The comedian Flip Wilson used to impersonate a lady called Geraldine, who explained that nothing was really her fault because, she said, aThe devil made me do it!a In more sophisticated terms, the brilliant and tragic Irishman, Oscar Wilde, wrote in Lady Windermereas Fan, aI couldnat help it. I can resist everything except temptation.a Wilde and Wilson had little in common, but they did share one thing: an apparent belief that temptation is something that happens to people, against which they are defenseless, and for which they cannot be held accountable.

Scripture flatly disagrees. Temptation is real, but must not be casually dismissed as inevitable or helplessly yielded to as invincible. Temptation is an integral part of life, intentionally permitted by G.o.d, designed to present men with an opportunity to decide between doing what is right and choosing to go wrong. Temptation overcome is a test pa.s.sed with flying colors, while being overcome by temptation is a craven capitulation to evil and a resounding defeat for good.

Jesus showed the way to triumph over temptation. Hungry, tired, and lonely after forty days and nights fasting in the wilderness, he was offered the chance to break his fast by changing a stone into a loaf of bread. It was a not-so-subtle temptation to take matters into his own hands rather than to trust the one into whose hands he was committed. His responsea"aPeople need more than bread for their lifea (Luke 4:4)a"showed he was not about to desert G.o.d for bread. Jesus 1, Satan 0.

Next, Jesus was offered power and status in return for believing a lie and perpetrating fraudulent wors.h.i.+p. His responsea"aYou must wors.h.i.+p the Lord your G.o.d; serve only hima (4:8)a"rebuffed the devil and reaffirmed his commitment to truth and his disdain for the abuse of power and prestige. Jesus 2, Satan 0.

Finally, Jesus was offered the chance to aprovea his faith by an act of sheer irresponsibility. Standing on the ahighest point of the Templea he was encouraged to ajump offa (4:9)a"an act purportedly legitimized by a doubtful application of Psalm 91. He responded, aDo not test the Lord your G.o.da (4:12). Jesus 3, Satan 0. So the Devil retreateda"for a while.

It may be objected that we are not Jesus, so we cannot be expected to stand against Satan. It can legitimately be said in response that we donat face Satan as he did, either. But more significantly, we do have the Spirit and we do have G.o.das Word. Jesus overcame by athe Holy Spiritas powera (4:14) and deft use of athe Scriptures.a By G.o.das grace, we can do that!

August 4

TO READ: Luke 4:14-30

Faithful and Fickle

[Jesus] taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. . . . When they heard [what he said], the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and took him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built. They intended to push him over the cliff.

Luke 4:15, 28-29

The ballplayer who scores the winning goal in one game and makes a fatal mistake in the next game goes from hero to goat in a hurry. The problem does not so much lie with him. He is doing his best both when he scores the winning goal and when he inadvertently makes an error. When he scores he is not Superman, and when he errs he is only human. The problem lies with the crowd. They praise him to the heights one minute and consign him to the depths the next. When they like what he does, theyare faithful to him; but when things go wrong, their fickleness shows.

No one knew the fickleness of the crowds better than Jesus. On returning from his encounter with the evil one in the wilderness, he soon became very well-known and well-liked in the region of Galilee. aHe taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyonea (Luke 4:15). When Jesus revisited his boyhood home, Nazareth, he was asked to read the Scriptures in the synagogue and he startled everyone by making a direct application of Isaiahas words to himself. At the end of the reading from Isaiah 61:1-2, he said, aThis Scripture has come true today before your very eyes!a (4:21). The people in his hometown synagogue reacted with appreciation for the agracious words that fell from his lipsa (4:22) and with incredulity, for they knew his background and could not understand how he could say what he was saying. But nevertheless, aAll who were there spoke well of hima (4:22).

Jesus, however, began to challenge them in ways that they did not appreciate. He made it clear to them that in the same way that Elijah and Elisha had not performed their ministries in Israel, so he had not performed his miracles in his hometown, because ano prophet is accepted in his hometowna (4:24). By this he meanta"and the people knew ita"that just as Israel was unprepared to respond to Elijah and Elisha, so also Jesusa neighbors in Nazareth were unwilling to respond to his message. On hearing this, they awere furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and took him to the edge of the hill on which the city was built. They intended to push him over the cliffa (4:28-29). Talk about a fickle crowd!

It is unlikely that you will be pushed off a cliff today, but it is possible that you will tell a friend the truth and have him go off the deep end! Both fans and friends can be fickle when faced with facts.

August 5

TO READ: Luke 4:31-41

Authority and Power

Jesus cut him short. aBe silent!a he told the demon. aCome out of the man!a The demon threw the man to the floor as the crowd watched; then it left him without hurting him further. Amazed, the people exclaimed, aWhat authority and power this manas words possess! Even evil spirits obey him and flee at his command!a Luke 4:35-36

Whatas the difference between an ineffective teacher and a school yard bully? The former has authority without power, while the latter has power without authority. The teacher, by virtue of his position, can rightly expect to be treated with respect and courtesy. Should this courtesy not be forthcoming, he has the power to enforce his wishes on recalcitrant pupils. Should he, however, be intimidated by his pupils, or lack the support of his superiors, he may be unwilling or unable to enforce his authority. So, clothed with authority, he is stripped of power.

On the other hand, the bully knows how to throw his weight around and to get people to do what he wishes them to do. He has no right to do this, but what he lacks in authority he more than makes up in power. Our world is full of ineffective authorities and highly effective bullies.

When Jesus went to Capernaum, he taught the people and they remarked that ahe spoke with authoritya (Luke 4:32). This was clearly ill.u.s.trated in the way he dealt with aa man possessed by a demona (4:33). Jesus ordered the confrontational demon, aBe silent! . . . Come out of the man!a (4:35). And the demon did. The response of the crowd was, aWhat authority and power this manas words possess!a (4:36). Jesus was neither an ineffective teacher nor an unrestrained tyrant. He possessed all the authority of heaven, and through the Spirit he had all the power to go with it.

Modern-day disciples need to be fully versed in the subject of their authority and power. Once they take upon themselves the name of Christ by responding to his call, they receive the blessed Holy Spirit. At once they possess both power and authority. As they speak Christas word and take their stand in his name, they are invested with his authority. To the extent that they rightly represent the words that Christ spoke, they speak his authoritative word. As they rightly represent him and his cause, it is in his name that they function. They lack nothing in authority. They must believe it and live in the good of it! But in order to show the reality of their claim to the authority of Christ, they must also demonstrate the power of Christas Spirit in their lives. The Spirit indwells them to empower them. So, conscious of their calling and empowering, modern-day disciples go about their lives. They do not live like intimidated teachers or schoolyard bullies, but as followers of him of whom it was said, aWhat authority and power this manas words possess!a Their power and authority belong to Christ, in whose name they go forth.

August 6

TO READ: Psalm 125

The Surrounding Lord

Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever.

Psalm 125:2

Anyone who has served in the military and has endured a route march knows that it helps to sing as you go. Drill instructors are well aware of this, and they encourage the men to singa"usually songs with inappropriate lyrics.

The pilgrims making their way up the rugged hills of Judea to the city of Jerusalem also knew that singing helped them along their way. But the songs they sang were in a n.o.bler vein. They focused on the purpose of the march. The pilgrims were heading to the holy city, to house of the Lord, to wors.h.i.+p. The songs they sang were called asongs for the ascent,a because they were written to be sung on the way up through the mountains to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the festivals. Psalm 125 is one of these songs.

As the wors.h.i.+pers made their way toward Jerusalem, it would not escape their attention that the city was ringed by mountains. From a military point of view, Jerusalem was strategically placed in a position that was readily defensible. This led the pilgrim-wors.h.i.+pers to sing, aThose who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Ziona (Ps. 125:1). Living in days when they were never far from invading armies or marauding bands of robbers, the pilgrims to Jerusalem were extremely conscious of their security while traveling. Mount Zion was as secure as you could get in those days, but living in the Lord was far more secure. So they sang, aJust as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people, both now and forevera (Ps. 125:2). The reason for this triumphant att.i.tude, mirrored in their joyful singing, was simply that they knew that athe wicked will not rule the G.o.dly, for then the G.o.dly might be forced to do wronga (Ps. 125:3). By this they did not mean that the G.o.dly were immune to trouble and exempt from the blows and batterings of evil men. Far from it. But it did mean that the Lord who encircled them was presiding over them even in their troubles and would not leave them defenseless. As requested, the Lord could be trusted to hear the prayer, aDo good to those who are good, whose hearts are in tune with youa (125:4). And he could be trusted to respond positively.

Those who preferred to aturn to crooked waysa (125:5) were free to do so, for the Lord does not force himself on anyone. But the crooked must expect eventually to be banished from the Lordas presence. Not so those who atrust in the Lorda (125:1). They will have aquietness and peacea (125:5)a"they will relax in the special knowledge that they are secure in the Lord.

So, even if today you are going uphilla"try singing as you go.

August 7

TO READ: Joshua 1:1-18

Self-Interest

Then Joshua called together the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Mana.s.seh. He told them, . . . aYour wives, children, and cattle may remain here on the east side of the Jordan River, but your warriors, fully armed, must lead the other tribes across the Jordan to help them conquer their territory.a Joshua 1:12, 14

Some people think that G.o.d gave Israel two commandments when he told them to love their neighbors as they loved themselves. Command number onea"love yourself. Command number twoa"love your neighbors. The argument goes that, as some people have a low self-image, they need to learn how to love themselves before they can love anybody else. But apart from the fact that Scripture says nothing of the sort, common sense tells us that everybody, however low his or her self-image, is governed to a certain extent by self-interest and instincts for self-preservation. The reality is that self-interest is behind much that makes the world go round.

Self-interest was a reality in the ancient world, too. On their way to the Promised Land, the children of Israel pa.s.sed through and conquered territory that lay on the eastern sh.o.r.es of the Jordan river. Some of the men involved in the fighting decided that they would prefer to stay there rather than go ahead with the rest of the people, crossing the Jordan and starting the slow and painful task of occupying the land G.o.d had given them. After all, they had large flocks and herds, it was good land, and it was there for the taking! So they asked to be excused from the occupation of Canaan and to be allowed to settle down, secure their families, and get on with the business of living their lives. Self-interest was ruling supreme!

Moses was not at all pleased when he heard their request, and he told them in no uncertain terms that they were just like the people who had turned back from entering the land forty years earlier. He called them aa brood of sinners, doing exactly the same thinga (Num. 32:14). Moses also said, aDo you mean you want to stay back here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?a (Num. 32:6). He obviously suspected self-interest was at work! But the tribesmen replied, aWe simply want to build sheepfolds for our flocks and fortified cities for our wives and children. Then we will arm ourselves and lead our fellow Israelites into battle until we have brought them safely to their inheritancea (Num. 32:16-17). Since they were willing to bear their share of the burden of fighting, Moses agreed to their proposal. Joshua reminded them, the tribesmen kept their promise, and self-interest was subsumed by the Lordas interest in his work and by the interests of others. And this is how they loved the Lord and their neighbors as they loved themselves.

The instinct for self-preservation is fine. Self-interest is here to stay. But self-absorption has to be seen for what it isa"immaturity run rampant. Caring for and loving others sacrificially is the only way to grow.

August 8

TO READ: Joshua 3:1-17

Trial by Water

Now it was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the riveras edge, the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the city of Jericho.

Joshua 3:15-16

In Western courts of law, the adversarial system is supposed to establish the innocence or guilt of the accused. The prosecution presents its case, the defense challenges it and presents its own version of events, and then the judge or jury evaluates the evidence and arrives at a verdict. There have been too many examples of the innocent being condemned and the guilty being released for one to place total confidence in the system as it stands, but it is much to be preferred to the methods used in the ancient Near East. The courts in those days determined the guilt or innocence of the accused by simply throwing him into a river. If the accused drowned, he was guilty; if he didnat, he was innocent! It was called trial by water.

Joshua told the children of Israel as they were approaching the Jordan River at flood tide, aToday you will know that the living G.o.d is among youa(Josh. 3:10). Joshua was referring to a trial by water that the Lord himself would pa.s.s through. The priests were ordered to make ready athe Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole eartha (3:11) and carry it into the middle of the Jordan. The symbolism was powerfula"the Lord himself was taking his stand in the water. It was his trial by water. aAs soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the riveras edge, the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam. . . . And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was drya (3:15-16). The people pa.s.sed over and the ark was delivered to dry land. Most significantly, the Lord was shown to be athe living G.o.d,a not only to Israel but also to the terrified inhabitants of the neighborhood whose last hope of stopping the encroaching Israelite armya"the Jordan Rivera"had not only failed to stop them but had provided evidence of the uniqueness of the Lord and his people.

The people of Israel had heard from their forefathers about the crossing of the Red Sea, but that was their parentsa story. The new generation needed their own demonstration of the Lordas power and sovereigntya"and the Lord gave it to them.

Each generation needs to learn the lessons of historya"the story of G.o.das dealing with his people through the agesa"but it also needs to see in its own time, in its own way, the evidence that the Lord is still athe living G.o.da who stands against all opposition and proves he is Lord. And G.o.d provides it!

August 9